Snap-on drawer lock



Nov. 7, 1950 w. A. POE

SNAP-0N DRAWER LOCK Filed Feb. 2'7, 1948 "III IIfiIIIII" \NVENTOR Waumn A. 'Pos.

L31 QQLQQ MQ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1950 V SNAP-ON DRAWER LOCK William A. Poe, Muskegon, Mich, assignor to Browne-Morse Company, Muskegon, Mich.

Application February 27, 1948, Serial N 0. 11,710

This invention relates to drawer locks and more particularly to a drawer lock that is easily and quickly attached to a file cabinet or the like.

4 Claims. (01. 312 ss3 In the manufacture of steel filing cabinets and other cabinets or desks with drawers, it is desirable to have as much of the cabinet assembled without tools in bringing about reduced cost of manufacture. purchasers sometimes buya cabinet without a drawer lock only to find later that a lock is desirable and applicant has found that an easily installed drawer lock is much to be desired.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a drawer lock for a filing cabinet or the like that is easily and simply installed onto the cabinet either at the factory or in the field to a previously purchased cabinet.

Other purposes and objects of the invention are to provide a drawer lock in which because of the simplicity of manufacture and the ease of installation the cost of both the manufacture and assembly are greatly reduced; differing from the conventional form of construction there are no screws, bolts or nuts to handle and no tools required for the assembly thereof; with the ease and simplicity of assembly, the lock may be installed in the field without tools and without any special skill; the drawer lock parts are stampings being quickly and economically made in a punch press at a greatly reduced cost; when once installed the lock cannot become accidently removed or dislocated from the cabinet.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during a reading of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through a filing cabinet with a drawer therein showing my improved drawer lock attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational View of a portion of the filing cabinet and the drawer supporting channel with the drawer lock attached thereto.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the side of the filing cabinet and the drawer supporting channel with the drawer lock in elevation, taken along line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the drawer supporting channel and drawer lock.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the snap on drawer lock unit.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the drawer It has also been found that some filing cabinet.

lock unit slightly separated from the drawer supporting channel. 7 Referring to the details of the drawing in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and particularly to Figure 1, a filing cabinet, desk or the like has a side panel I, a back panel 2 and a front side member 3 bordering a drawer opening 4. The side panel I of the cabinet is provided with a rear vertical flanged channel 5 and a forward vertical fianged channel 6 attached thereto as by welding. :A horizontally disposed drawer supporting channel 7 is secured at its ends in any convenient'manner to the verticalchannels 5 and 6. The drawer supporting channel I, is formed in vertical cross section with a vertical web 8 with narrow horizontal ledges 9 extending horizontally from the upper and lower edges thereof, each with an inwardly vertically extending narrow flange Ill. I

This drawer supporting channel 1 slidably supports a drawer II in the conventional manner whereby the drawer may be withdrawn to extended position out of the front side of the The drawer is constructed with vertical side members I 2, a rear panel I3 and a iront'panel hi all assembled together as by welding to form the complete drawer. A stop block I5 is welded or otherwise secured to one side [2 of the drawer l I.

The drawersupporting channel I is pierced along two spaced parallel horizontal lines and the metal so cut is bent slightly to the rear of the web of the channel forming the spaced holding strap I 6. Slightly below thi strap IS the web of the drawer supporting channel is pierced along an inverted U-shape line and this metal is pressed slightly to the rear of the web of the channel forming the upwardly extending spaced vertical tongue IT.

This strap i6 and the tongue I! are adapted to support a bracket I8 on which the latch of the drawer lock is mounted. The drawer lock bracket i8 has a-vertical leg l9 and ;an integral horizontal leg 20. The vertical legis formed with a rectangular notch 25 that is received over the base of the tongue I! when the lock is properly installed. The vertical leg i8 is pierced along anvinverted U-shapeline and the metal forced slightly outwardly, forming the lip 22 that engages below the strap lfi when the lock bracket is properly in place on the supporting channel and prevents the unintentional removal of the bracket from the channel.

A latching member 23 is made of strap metal and is pivotaliy' mounted on the horizontal portion of the bracket IS on the pivot pin 24. A stop lug is formed from the metal of the latching member 2t and extends downwardly therefrom and engages one edge of the horizontal leg of the bracket to stop the counter clockwise rotation of the latching member on the bracket. The pivot pin 24 extends a distance aboverthe latchinglmember'and atorsion spring 26 is located around this pivot pin with one end 21 thereof hooked over the rear edge of the latching member 23 and the other end 28 of the torsion spring engaging .one edge of the vertical leg of the bracket l8 yieldably rotating the latching member counter clockwise and with the stop.:lug-

25, against this bracket. I

A look operating strap 29 is' locatedalong the rear side of the vertical cabinet channel 6 and is actuated by motion of a key operated drawer lock and when actuated is rotated slightly thus moving the? stoplug. end off the latchingmember inwardly and removingthe other end-10f:

the latching member from-the path' of the drawer vertically and the rear face of the supporting member and the lower terminal end thereof receivable between the tongue and the rear face" of'the supporting member and the bifurcated portion receivable astraddle the tongue.

2. A drawer lock comprising a bracket made of strap metal and having a horizontal leg to which is pivotally attached a latching memberand having avertical leg terminating at its lower end in a bifurcated portion, a vertically disposed drawer supporting member of sheet metal having a horizontal strap pierced therefrom and spaced from the face thereof, an upwardly extending tongue pierced from the supporting member below the strap and spaced from the face of the supporting member,.the vertical leg of the bracket receivable between the strap and the face of the supporting member and the lower end of the bracket receivable between the tongue and the face of the supporting member with the bifurcated portion thereof straddling the base of'the tongue.

I 3'. A- drawer lock comprising a bracket having avertical leg, said leg of the bracket having an outwardly and upwardly extending lipand termina-ting atits lower end in a bifurcated por tion, a latching-member pivoted to -said='-bracket,- a

.- vertical-drawer supporting member having-a hori zont'al strap attached at its ends to the-supportingmember spaced from a face-thereof; the supporting member also havingan. upwardly ex tending tongue attached thereto below the'strap and spaced from said face-thereof, the vertical leg of the bracket receivable between the: strap strap [b and until the rectangular'notch 2| stradctles the tongue" IT. Thus the upper: portion of the bracket is held snugly between the strap from the supporting channel and the lower end ofthe bracket I8 is held from" longitudinal move ment by the notch inthe end thereof straddling the tongue H and is held from lateral movement by the tongue ll' holding the lower'end' of the bracket against-the rear side of the supporting channel.

Having thus described my invention it is un= derstood' that I' have devised a drawer lock that iseasily installed either at the factory or in" the fieldand that no tools are required for the installation and that I have designed a drawer lock that is economical to manufacture andsimple to assemble with the resultant decrease in the manufacturing costs.

Although I have described but one form of structure it is considered that certain minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention, the entire scope of which'is defined in'the following claims.

1. A drawer lock comprising a bracket having a vertical leg, the lower end thereof terminating ina bifurcated portion, a latching member pivoted on said bracket, a vertical drawer supporting member having a, horizontal strap attached at its ends to the supporting member and spaced from the one face of the-supporting member,

and also having an upwardly extending tongue attached thereto and spaced" from the same face thereof, the bracket receivable between the strap and said face of the supporting member the lip snapped outwardly below the strapand the lower end of' the vertical leg of the bracket receivable between the tongue and the rear face of the supporting member with the bifurcated end of the bracket" straddling the baseof the tongue.-

4; drawer lock comprising a Verticallyposiftioned drawer supporting member of sheetmeta-l having a strap pierced therefromand bent in spaced relation'to one face thereof, an upwardly extending tongue pierced from the supporting member below the strap and bent to spaced relation to the same face of the supporting member;

a bracket having a horizontal legto which is pivotally attached a-latcloing member and also having a vertical legwith an upwardly and out wardly extending lip and at its-lower terminalen'd provided" with a central notch, the vertical leg of the bracket receivable between the strap and the face of the supporting member with the lip located outwardly below the strap, the lower end of the bracket receivable between the; tongue and the face of the supporting member with; the notch end of the bracket straddling the base 20f the tongue.

'WILLIAM Aurore.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of, record file of this patent: e

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Date" McLean Nov; 19, 

